Labor Day

Happy Labor Day!   Yes, I know even though Labor Day is an American federal holiday observed on the first Monday in September that celebrates the economic and social contributions of workers ----- there are lots of people who have to work on Labor Day ----- and ------ we especially salute those who have to work! 

Okay a little history, some facts ----- In 1882, Matthew Maguire, a machinist who also was serving as secretary of the CLU (Central Labor Union) of New York.  And of course others argue that it was first proposed by Peter J. McGuire of the American Federation of Labor in May, 1882 based on the annual labor festival held in Toronto, Canada. 

Either way, Oregon was the first state to make it a holiday in 1887, it became a federal holiday in 1894 and thirty states officially celebrated Labor Day.  The United State Congress unanimously voted to approve rush legislation that made Labor Day a national holiday after the deaths of a number of workers during the Pullman Strike. 

Current Labor Day pays tribute to the contributions and achievement of American workers.  It also symbolizes the end of summer for many Americans, and is celebrated with parties, parades and athletic events and of course store sales!!!

Free webinars on Common Core and 21st Century!

 Okay -  you know how we like FREE - well to get you at least registered for these FREE webinars, I am combine three different webinars into one post ----- ready -----

Compass Learning is offering:  Meet the Common Core State Standards Trough Rigorous and Relevant Project-Based Learning on September 13, 2012 - 3:00 PM EST - for more information and to register:   https://cc.readytalk.com/cc/s/showReg?udc=w11i03z05x3q

 

Hosted by edweek.org is:   Teaching 21-stCentury Skills Outside the School Day on September 11, 2012 from 1 to 2 pm EST - for more information and to register:  https://event.on24.com/eventRegistration/EventLobbyServlet?target=registration.jsp&eventid=504999&sessionid=1&key=42FABC018E3415D431D9CCDE7C9B09E2&partnerref=enl&sourcepage=register

Hosted by edweek.org and sponsored by The Clock is Ticking - Pearson Common Core Institute is:  How One District Is Putting the Common Standards Into Practice:  A Case Study on September 13, 2012 from 2 to 3 pm EST - for more information and to register: 

https://event.on24.com/eventRegistration/EventLobbyServlet?target=registration.jsp&eventid=505026&sessionid=1&key=947F8990E9515E80271A69E878C2A78D&partnerref=enl&sourcepage=register

Improving Academic Outcomes for African American Males Webinar Series

Okay --- I know the beginning of school and I am posting a webinar series from Schools Moving Up @West Ed ----- Well, it is free, you can come watch here at the SERC Library Community Room, you can sign up yourself, you can view it as an archive eventually ------ come on it is a win, win situation!!!!!

On Thursday, September 13th from 2:30 to 4:00 in the SERC Library Community Room we are showing the webinar, High Quality Instruction that Promotes Learning and Achievement for African American Male Students by Dr. Joseph F. Johnson, Jr., NCUST Executive Director and Professor of Educational Leadership at San Diego State University who will provide information about the instructional practices that make a difference.  The webinar will discuss strategies for changing instructional practice in schools.

For more information, follow this link to learn more about the series, sign up for the webinar, and view the first webinar Discipline that Does no Harm:  Improving Academic Outcomes for African-American Male which is archived, this link will get you to the sign up for the next webinar on September 13th and just use the Webinar tab to find the first webinar archived, http://www.schoolsmovingup.net/cs/smu/print/htdocs/smu/webinars/upcoming.htm

In addition follow this link, http://www.ncust.org/wp/ to the National Center for Urban School Transformation (NCUST) which has been identifying and studying urban schools that achieve outstanding academic results for all students, including African American males.  These studies have pinpointed practices that lead African American male students to excel.

Tools scours Twitter for signs of bullying

Okay, just in time for school to begin again, computer scientists at the University of Wisconsin have developed a program that can scan through Twitter for signs of cyberbullying.  According to the blog post in Education Week/Digital Education - from a story on Good Education magazine's website, the program recently discovered 15,000 bullying-related Tweets in one day out of roughly 250 million Tweets issued in a day!  The researchers hope to develop the program further so it can also recognize danger signs pointing to children who are in need of an adult intervention.  In addition, according to a release from the university, they hope to create ways to show bullied children that others like them also suffer cyberbullying.  Check out the full blog posting here http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/DigitalEducation/2012/08/edtech_notebook_twitter_bullyi.html or the original story at http://www.good.is/post/a-new-program-scours-twitter-for-school-bullying/

App that can assist teachers and grading

Andy Cahill, left and founders Dante Cassanego and Parul Singh

Check out this article in the Boston Herald about the two recent MIT Sloan School of Management graduates (Parul Singh and Dante Cassanego) who have co-founded a company called Gradeable that is developing an iPhone and iPad app that they plan to launch in January to help teachers with the task of grading.  Singh and Cassanego along with Andy Cahill, Gradeable director of education and training, are using their interviews with teachers to develop the app.  Check out the article for more information.

Back to School Sites!

Okay ---- if you missed these from Edutopia ----- check them out now!!!!

This article has some great reviews and list some of the sites checked out by Edutopia Researcher Vanessa Vega that offer FREE curriculum and online networks where teachers exchange lesson plans - A primer on curriculum-sharing sites

In this next article - from the archives of Edutopia --- educators share tips for stocking up on complimentary classrooms supplies - How to get free teaching materials

and the last article -----

Is Online resources to engage elementary students (video) - about a fifth-grade teacher Nicole Dalesio who keeps her class motivated to learn by encouraging them to create multimedia presentations and projects using FREE technology tools on the Web.  This part of the Tech2Learn Series.

Well ---- what are you waiting for ---- check out the articles ---- school starts, if not next week, the week after!

Exercise balls for chairs!

Angelika Thompson and her fourth grade students at Fishers Elementary School.

Okay, I think I am all for this ---- or really ---- why did I not have this option as a kid!!!!!  A fourth-grade teacher in Indiana has replaced chairs in the classroom with exercise balls.  According to the article in the Indianapolis Star, "A study at the Mayo Clinic supports chairless classrooms, saying that exercise balls improve students' posture and muscle strength.  Students also can burn off excess energy.  An their concentration may improve!"  In addition the teacher, Angelika Thompson sometimes gives the kids a minute every now and then during the school day to bounce --------- Tigger would love this class, only he just needs his tail!  Keep in mind that the exercise balls are a privilege, students who make poor choices or don't behave in class, they must sit in a chair the rest of the day and there is proper technique for sitting on the balls, Oh bother!  Check out the article at http://www.indystar.com/article/20120801/LOCAL01/208020321/Fishers-kids-swap-chairs-exercise-balls?odyssey=mod|newswell|img||p

2012 Learning 2.0 Virtual Conference - August 20-24

Okay ---- Free is good ---- and ---- this free conference is being held online, in multiple time zones, over the course of five days!  It is being held in conjunction with Connected Educator Month, and will include an all-day virtual unconference (SocialEdCon online!) as well as a special educational start-up "pitchfire" event. 

This is a unique chance to participate in a global conversation on rethinking teaching and learning in the age of the Internet.  Subject strands include changes in the classroom (social media, 1:1 computing, "flipped classrooms," digital literacy, marker spaces, gaming, open educational resources, digital textbooks), in student learning (individualized learning, student-directed learning, "hacking"education, personal success plans, ePortfolios, and building a digital presence), in teacher personal and professional growth (lead learning, personal learning networks, peer/open/self-directed PD), in schools (virtual and online schooling, mobile learning, blended learning, MOOCs, immersive environments, learning spaces, entrepreneurship, school leadership, big data, assessment models), in pedagogy (from teaching to learning, social learning, social/educational networking, passion-based learning, learning how to learn, brain-based learning) and more!

If you join the Classroom 2.0 network you will be kept informed of the latest conference news and updates.  You do not need to join this network to attend, but doing so will also allow you to correspond with the presenters and other members, and to comment on sessions and discussions. 

Check out the information on the site at http://www.classroom20.com/page/2012-learning-2-0-virtual-conference 

Summer Olympics

Okay, I know the closing ceremony was last night ----however---- since this a rather new posting on NBC Learn ---- you do know about NBC Learn, right? ---- if not you are going to  want to check out the link for two reasons now ---- one to learn about teaching math, science and engineering through the events of the Summer Olympics (5 minute videos that are packed with learning and fun to watch) --- also check out the "Engineering for mobility" (the athletes in this video are capable of just about anything) ---- and if you check back in AUGUST --- NSTA will have some lesson plans listed on the site!  Plus there is lots more to check out.  Well, what are you awaiting for follow the link!  NBC Learn at http://www.nbclearn.com/portal/site/learn

Reading a garden - A word garden?

Sound intriguing?  Why, yes!  Check out the article from Educational Leadership - http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/jun12/vol69/num09/Reading-a-Garden.aspx#wordgarden.  The article talks about how gardening with students can lead to stronger reading, connect knowledge about plants, animals, and ecosystems with personal experience and as a natural way to develop an understanding of science.  The article gives some example approaches to follow:  Choose books with gardening as a key element (there is a list of books at the end of the article); Teach nonfiction features; and Create garden signs.  The article focus on the efforts at Saint Michael's College in Vermont.  Check out the video at the end on the "word garden".  You can also check out the website The Teaching Gardens of Saint Michael's at http://academics.smcvt.edu/gardens/Home.html

FOOD for FINES!

I know what you are thinking ---- in the middle of summer ----- YES!  For ONE, we get back resources before ----- dare I say it ----- school begins again ----- SECOND, we are participating in Unity Day on Saturday, August 18th and we always donate food to a local food pantry and THIRD, food pantries need food all year long!  SO ---- bring a non-perishable food item with your overdue resources and we will waive your fine!   You have to hurry, we are offering FOOD for FINES from MONDAY, AUGUST 1ST TO FRIDAY, AUGUST 17TH!